Okaukuejo Camp review

On arrival at Okaukeujo we were reminded what NWR camps are usually like. Again we had to change rooms due to NWR having messed up our booking but this time we were told we’d have to go through the full rigmarole of checking out of our first room, leaving the camp for four hours and then checking in to our new room. A room to store the luggage was offered but there was little point to this as we’d already have had to load it in the car to get it to reception so might as well keep it with us. In the event the receptionist obviously realised this process was ridiculous and didn’t make us do the check out/checkin.

Our first room (a waterhole chalet) was fine and it was great to be able to see what was going on at the waterhole from our terrace. We then moved to a bush chalet which had many problems; no latch to hold the screen door open, window latches wrongly fitted so they could be opened from the outside, a shower shelf which tipped up when anything was put on it and a broken braai – staff must have known about this as it had been cleared out. If it wasn’t for the waterhole at Okaukeujo faults like this, and the administrative errors, would make us refuse to ever return.

On the positive side, staff were much more polite and friendly than on previous visits. Special thanks to the cleaner who, on hearing a crash and some colourful language from our kitchen, appeared and insisted on clearing up the mess made when a wine bottle fell out of the fridge.

Food, though not anything special, was fine – you can’t expect too much from a buffet for 200+ people for £10 a head. As always the waterhole was excellent with eight black rhino being seen one evening. We spent an entire day at the waterhole with very few other people around most of the time which was lovely.

Floodlit Waterhole absolutely brilliant

Despite reviews we'd read Okaukuejo exceeded expectations. Check in/out was easy and quick, our room was very nice indeed and plenty of food choice, which was always of a good standard.

The waterhole was fantastic. We counted 32 elephants including 4 calves there just before we went to bed. We also saw 5 or 6 rhino come and go and a leopard ambush a jackal, not to mention, numerous giraffe, zebra, springbok etc.

My favourite camp in Etosha

We were pleased with the location of our cottages. The bush chalets are probably better than the waterhole chalets as you don't have everyone milling around your front door. They are just a short walk from the waterhole and quite comfortable.

Being able to view the waterhole while in camp is special. Not to be missed. The restaurant food is by no means the best, but is just fine. We didn't realise that breakfast is included, and is available from early on so you can still make an early exit from the camp.

Okaukuejo Camp review

We didn't like the camp very much as so large and very noisy but we had been warned that this was the case.The place needs an urgent refurbishment in every area. The room was dull and drab but clean.The food shop was awful with very little stock and uninterested staff.

However, the food in the restaurant was good though the system of some self service and some waiter service during the evening meal was a bit chaotic with not enough staff for the number of tables.

The main draw, as advised, was the waterhole. During the afternoon we saw many zebra, giraffe and antelope but the 'stars come out at night'. On the first night we saw three rhinos and a herd of 20+ elephants but on night two, 10 individual rhinos both black and white, two females with calves and a herd of 30+ elephants. This made up for the average camp.

Okaukuejo Camp

Okaukuejo camp was the start of our time at Etosha, the rooms look stunning from the outside, they are a little more basic inside and there were signs that a bit of repair work was overdue. Two window locks were missing and the mosquito window nets had a number of rips in it.

However, the reason for staying here is not for the chalet, the waterhole inside the camp was amazing and within a short 3-5 minute walk away from the furthest chalet. The waterhole is floodlit in the evening and we saw, 3 Giraffes, 3 Rhino's and an elephant all together on one of the two evenings we stayed. The waterhole on it's own is why it is worth staying here.

The food is average compared to anywhere else we stayed, it is buffet style and if you do not get there early in the evening, you may find your choice restricted. In our case we had a number of vegetarians within the group and on one night they had a very small choice to select from as a lot of items had run out. If something had run out and you asked for replenishments, the staff were very polite and went away immediately, but then it took a long time to arrive.

The waterhole in the evening can only be seen by people staying at the camp due to the park gates being shut and no driving after sunset, for that reason alone, it is worth staying at the camp.

Okaukuejo Camp review

We loved the location of the camp and spent hours watching the waterhole - certainly better than TV!

However the check in took a long time and the assistant not terribly helpful. The cabin was comfortable and the problem with lights was sorted out soon after we pointed it out. We were also impressed by the privacy we were afforded in spite of the size of the camp.

However the food was poor. The selection mediocre and they were constantly running out of things. When I asked whether more bread was coming out I was asked 'Why, do you want some'. Many staff standing around chatting and no sense of personal service or pride in their job that we had experienced everywhere else that we stayed.

The game drive we went on was OK but merely took us to a nearby waterhole and was really rather disappointing. We know that there are no guarantees with wild animals but felt that he could have shown more enthusiasm and we weren't even given water despite being out for 3 hours.

Okaukuejo Camp review

This was at first a bit of a disappointment, though we got used to it. One couldn’t fault anything exactly, but it was impersonal and the whole place had the feel of being government-run. For example, there was a wonderful chef at Okakeujo who made the most delicious breakfast omelettes to order, but entirely unsmilingly (even after a friendly greeting – the complete opposite of staff in the previous places who appeared to love their jobs!).

The camp shops sold frozen meat and tinned vegetables and unappetizing chocolate, but little from which one could put together a picnic lunch.

It did occur to me at the time that it might be an idea to recommend people to stay at the lodges outside the park (such as Mushara Bush Camp) and enter the park daily, but then we discovered the floodlit water-holes which were fantastic (we saw several rhino and a leopard, but only at night) so I can now see why people might prefer to stay there. Nevertheless it’s worth a mention.

Okaukuejo Camp review

The room (chalet) was excellent and very comfortable. The food (lunch and dinner) was poor although breakfast was fine - one doesn't visit Okaukuejo Camp for fine dining!

The water hole is the main attraction and certainly lived up to all our expectations, particularly after dinner when there was great interaction between elephant and rhino and the sighting of a leopard creeping away.

We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.